Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography

Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography Program DirectorAssistant ProfessorDepartment of Emergency Medicine, University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario Canada

Welcome to the EMUS program with the Department of Emergency Medicine at the University of Ottawa and The Ottawa Hospital. Point of care ultrasonography – Emergency Medicine (POCUS-EM) has been practiced at our centre since 1998 under the leadership and vision of Dr. Guy Hebert. As one of the first centres in Canada to employ clinical sonography in practice, we strive for excellence in this innovative field of medicine.

We have a dynamic, integrated program that includes undergraduate, postgraduate, fellowship, and continuing education. We are actively involved in local and multi-centre PoCUS research projects.

The EMUS faculty at the DEM are deeply committed to our vision, ‘To be international leaders in the advancement of patient care through point of care ultrasound education and research’. We accomplish this through our leading educational programs, innovative research and continuous quality improvement.

History

Dr. Guy Hebert first started Emergency Medicine Ultrasonography (EMUS) program at The Ottawa Hospital in 1998. As one of the founders in Canada for clinical sonography, his vision and dedication has enabled the clinical sonography program to flourish to become one of the largest programs in Canada.

In 2003, Dr. Lisa Calder, a resident at the time, obtained funding from Postgraduate Medical Education at the University of Ottawa to develop the first EMUS course for emergency medicine residents.

The Department of Emergency Medicine has supported the EMUS program appointing Dr. Michael Woo as the Director of EMUS in 2006 and Dr. James Worrall as the Assistant Director in 2008.

As of 2008, EMUS has been a core competency for the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons Canada – Emergency Medicine Specialty. Since that time, we have established a mandatory, Level 1, formal EMUS training program for all emergency medicine residents at the University of Ottawa in both the RCPSC-EM and the CCFP(EM) programs.

A highly competitive EMUS Fellowship was established in 2009 and continues to produce leaders in Clinical Sonography who practice around the world.

In 2014, The Ottawa Hospital, department of EM in collaboration with the division of Critical Care began an online cloud-based archiving system. This initiative greatly improved the POCUS Quality improvement program within the Department of EM.

In 2016, the EMUS program introduced a Level 2 rotation to all DEM residents with a focus on more advanced cardiac, abdominal and procedural indications of pocus.

Vision Statement

To be international leaders in the advancement of patient care through point of care ultrasound education and research

Vision

To be international leaders in the advancement of patient care through point of care ultrasound education and research